DINNER AND A SHOW: On the Town offers suggestions for eateries and entertainment.

Puccini and pasta? `Turandot' opera calls for an Asian twist on dining

September 29, 2006|By Jenn Goddu, Special to the Tribune

Lyric Opera opened its season with a lush production of Puccini's "Turandot." Before feasting your eyes on the show set in ancient Peking, satiate your hunger for Chinese, Thai or Japanese fare by stopping in at Tamarind.

This new South Loop eatery (614 S. Wabash Ave.; 312-379-0970, www.tamarindsushi.com) has a bit of a lounge feel, and on some nights there's a deejay spinning cool tracks. The walls are covered with bright green bamboo shoots and deep red paint, but overall this venue's decor is minimal -- just enough to prime your senses for the dazzle of David Hockney's production design at the Civic Opera House (20 N. Wacker Drive, www.lyricopera.org).

Tamarind manager Paul Ko says one of the restaurant's most popular items is the Tamarind duck, a Thai dish prepared by head chef Lisa Ko (Paul's mother), who roasts the bird long enough for the sweet sauce to mix with the duck's savory flavor.

Another dish prepared by chef Ko is a pan-fried, seared sea bass flavored with miso and ginger, served on a bed of steamed vegetables.

These entree options can be part of the restaurant's fixed-price, three-course dinners ($31). Start with an appetizer such as ahi-poki tuna, summer roll or garden citrus soup. Then pick one of the eight entree options and finish your meal with dessert, such as a homemade banana wonton served with red bean ice cream.

Otherwise, start with a bowl of edamame (soybeans, $3), while poring over the menu and deciding which culinary region you feel like visiting. Want even more control? Check out the vegetable bar and build your own stir fry.

If you don't go the fixed-price route, expect to pay about $80 for dinner for two, tax and tip. That price also includes one of the restaurant's fresh fruitinis such as Fuji apple or watermelon.